Kangaroo Mother Care: the Best Start

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) isn’t just for marsupials! It is a way of caring for newborn babies that is increasingly supported by research for both full-term and premature babies.

When my nephew was born (at full term) he had a hard time maintaining his body temperature. His parents were worried that he would have to stay in the hospital longer than they had planned. They were lucky to have a doula that had heard of KMC. With her encouragement, they decided to try it. He stabilized, nursed well, and came home that day.

KMC consists of three things:

The baby is positioned upright, skin-to-skin on the mother’s chest.

Exclusive breastfeeding.

No or minimal separation of mother and baby — any needed care is done with mother and baby remaining in contact.